# Simple thing you finally figured out that made you feel stupid **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 4, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805 "2005-06-04T00:00:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/41 "2005-06-04T13:54:34Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > I still don’t get “Louisiana: The State We’re In”. Could someone explain? It’s a program to let you know the current status of Louisiana. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/42 "2005-06-04T14:12:00Z")
[SDMB classic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=62082) ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/43 "2005-06-04T14:26:47Z")
I don’t know if other cities have this, but we have Go-Time for our buses. At each stop, there’s a number you can call to see when the bus is coming. At stops on multiple routes, that same number may give you the times for up to four different buses. I always thought that when you called it told you the next bus to arrive at that stop, both the time and the number. For example, “The next bus en route, 5, will depart in 15 minutes.” Once me and my roommate were waiting for the bus, she checked for the 7, then commented after that she should have checked the 80 as well. I mentioned that it wouldn’t be until after the 7 anyways. This was when she corrected me and said that it goes in the order they’re in on the sign. So what I was really hearing was “The next bus _on_ route 5 will depart in 15 minutes.” I’d never bothered listening past that and never noticed (though I did wonder why it always told me route 1 first, even if that wasn’t the next one to get there). ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/44 "2005-06-04T14:58:01Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I thought that the Florida panhandle was the big penis looking part. Until the people of this very board laughed and laughed at me. We would _never_. Well, I might, but I’d be expecting an ass-kicking next time I saw you. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/45 "2005-06-04T15:03:51Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > It’s a program to let you know the current status of Louisiana. Oh, I thought I was missing some double meaning of _Louisiana_. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![iwakura43](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de0a6/32.png) [@iwakura43](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iwakura43)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/46 "2005-06-04T15:56:09Z")
> [@Burnt Sugar](#): > > I didn’t know what reversing lights were until I had had my licence for over a year. I didn’t feel so bad when I had to tell my SO what they were! Um. Reversing lights? Those are just on trucks, right? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/47 "2005-06-04T16:19:01Z")
It was on this very board that I revealed my ignorance of Marvin’s role in _Pulp Fiction_. ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/48 "2005-06-04T16:20:40Z")
I _still_ don’t understand how this green, vegetable based soup is supposed to bring any amount of peace. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/49 "2005-06-04T16:20:45Z")
And I was in college before I learned that Faust was pronounced ‘fowst’ not ‘fahst’. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/50 "2005-06-04T17:23:50Z")
> [@iwakura43](#): > > Um. Reversing lights? > > Those are just on trucks, right? In the US they’re commonly called “backup lights.” They’re the white lights on the back of the car (usually in the middle of the brake light) that comes on when the car is in reverse gear. They help when you are backing up at night to illuminate the area behind you, and can also serve as a warning to others that you are backing up. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/51 "2005-06-04T18:07:27Z")
I was well into college before I found out that women don’t pee through their vaginas. And I’ve recently discovered (on this board) that there are a whole lot of women who think they do. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/52 "2005-06-04T18:52:02Z")
BTW, I still don’t see the representation of the band members. OK, you know how you miss an exit on the freeway, then try to get off at the next exit and turn around and go the other way on the freeway? I recently figured out that when you get off the freeway (exiting to the right), the onramp to turn around on the freeway is always to the left. Duh! > [@Nicodemus2004](#): > > For most of my life I thought it was “Beck and Call” then come to find it’s “Beckon Call” [Gah! No, it’s not.](http://www.us.oup.com/us/apps/totd/usage/archive/display.jsp?name=usage&id=70) As per the AC/DC song, I thought it was the Dunder Chief as well. Badly enunciated song, I suppose. Similar to Zeldar’s situation, I thought segue was spelled segway until I read it somewhere. Which annoys me because there’s nothing that gets me angrier and makes me feel more like going on a killing spree than mondegreen spellings. > [@scr4](#): > > Oh, I thought I was missing some double meaning of Louisiana. Me too! ---
**Author:** ![saramamalana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/53 "2005-06-04T20:15:59Z")
> [@Little Nemo](#): > > It was on this very board that I revealed my ignorance of Marvin’s role in Pulp Fiction. Is it that you didn’t know who Marvin was or you were unaware of his importance? If it’s the latter, then I’m afraid I may be missing something. Or maybe once the importance is pointed out I’ll say “oh sure, I did know that.” Please fill me in! ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/54 "2005-06-04T22:36:13Z")
When trying to convert between price per ounce and price per pound in my head, I always tried to do the multiplication/long division in my head. Only relatively recently did I realize you could just multiply or divide by 2 four times. > [@fetus](#): > > BTW, I still don’t see the representation of the band members. It’s their heads/faces, facing us directly, with the lower right (our left) side of their faces missing, in shadow, as it were. Interesting effect, considering the limitations. > [@Zeldar](#): > > Right after college I had a job as an announcer at an FM station playing jazz music and such things. Having never heard or seen the word “segue” before, I introduced _Seque In C_ (by the Basie or Ellington band IIRC) as if it it were **Seeg** and went happily on my way. > > It was years later and in a situation I can’t recall specifics about, when I heard someone say **Seg-Way** and it suddenly dawned on me what I had done before. > > Imagine blushing with embarrassment years after the fact! When I was young and first saw the word, I thought it was French. However, at the time I only knew a few French words and my estimate of my own French pronunciation far exceeded my actual ability, so I pronounced it “sayg”. And until I read your post, I didn’t connect the musical term (which I learned to pronounce correctly long ago) with Kamen’s Segway. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/55 "2005-06-05T02:19:40Z")
> [@](#): > > Is it that you didn’t know who Marvin was or you were unaware of his importance? If it’s the latter, then I’m afraid I may be missing something. Or maybe once the importance is pointed out I’ll say “oh sure, I did know that.” Please fill me in! I asked why it was that Jules and Vincent didn’t kill Marvin when they shot everybody else in the room. And if Marcellus wanted Marvin alive for some reason, why weren’t they worried after Vincent accidently killed him? The answer is blazingly obvious, as I realized once people pointed it out to me. Marvin was the one who sold out the rest of the guys in the room. So Jules and Vincent were letting him live. But while Marcellus had agreed to let Marvin live in exchange for his betrayal of the others, he had no real interest in Marvin once he had served his purpose so Jules and Vincent knew he wouldn’t be too concerned about his death. It wasn’t like Tarantino was hiding this. But for some reason, it went over my head the first couple of times I watched the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/56 "2005-06-05T03:03:43Z")
> [@Nicodemus2004](#): > > For most of my life I thought it was “Beck and Call” then come to find it’s “Beckon Call” :smack: Makes a bit more sense. You had it right the first time: it _is_ beck and call. I consider myself pretty proficient at the English language, but all the time I find that I don’t _really_ know the pronunciation of certain words (mainly becuase I’ve read them but never heard them). “Prescient” isn’t “preesh’unt,” it’s “pre’shi-unt,” etc. Now and then I’ll find that I’ve slightly mistaken the meaning of a Japanese word for, oh, 12 years. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/57 "2005-06-05T03:46:38Z")
> [@Queen Tonya](#): > > Realizing that north-south highways are odd numbered and east-west are even was quite the revelation for me. I might have been told when I was learning to drive as a kid and it just didn’t stick for me, but it was a huge “Oh hey, wow, lookit this, does anyone else know this!?” moment for about 30 seconds until I realized everyone knew about it 'cept me. Here in California, that’s not necessarily true. I take 680 South and 580 East to get to work. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/58 "2005-06-05T04:07:39Z")
For much of my young life, I thought that if somebody lied to you and you believed it, you had been misled (pronounced in my head as, “MY-zzld”). As is usually the case with this kind of weird mispronunciation, it came from “only having read” the word. Then one day, when I was 13 or 14, somebody happened to use the phrase “misled into the act” in conversation, and I commented, “ever notice that (MY-zld) and (miss-LED) are two words that are pronounced differently, yet are spelled the same and mean the same thing?” Errrr… why no, as a matter of fact… I also got made fun of one day when I revealed that I always assumed that the word “scavenger” rhymed with “avenger” (“Sca-VEN-jer”), and that a “scavenger hunt” was some kind of safari to bag hyenas. (Pretend, of course – it WAS an invitation to a 10-year-old’s birthday party after all!) And on the subject of misheard song lyrics: a friend of mine has admitted to originally thinking the Kiss song “Rock and Roll All Night” had the refrain: “I wanna rock and roll all night / and PART OF every day”. Sensibly leaving time to get in that crucial 8-hours-a-night beauty rest, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/59 "2005-06-05T04:47:30Z")
Originally Posted by Queen Tonya Realizing that north-south highways are odd numbered and east-west are even was quite the revelation for me. Yeah, in the Los Angeles this is violated, too. The 110 is N-S, the 91 is E-W, the 710 is N-S, the 105 is E-W. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805/60 "2005-06-05T04:54:34Z")
epi-tome is apparently pronounced epi-to-me. who knew? everyone besides me [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-thing-you-finally-figured-out-that-made-you-feel-stupid/306805.md?page=4)